Giles Fletcher the elder
Giles Fletcher, the Elder (?1548-1611) was an English poet and diplomat, member of the English Parliament. He was the father of poets Giles Fletcher the younger (with whom he is often confused) and Phineas Fletcher. Life Fletcher was born in Watford, Herffordshire, the son of Richard Fletcher, vicar of Bishop's Stortford. He spent his early life at Cranbrook before entering Eton College about 1561. From there, Fletcher continued his education at King's College, Cambridge, where he was appointed a fellow in 1568 and gained his B.A. in the academic year 1569-70. Studying Greek and poetry, Fletcher contributed to the translation of several of Demosthenes' orations. On 22 March 1572, Fletcher became a lecturer in King's and held this position until March the following year, until he became a lecturer in Greek, a position which he held until Michaelmas term 1579. Continually rising within the academia, Fletcher rose to dean of arts, the highest position he was to attain at Kings, in 1580-81. However, this would not last long, for he decided to marry, forcing him to give up his fellowship. On 16 January, in his father's church, he married Joan Sheafe. Returning to Cambridge later, he received his Doctor of Civil Law degree. After attaining his law degree, the family settled back in Cranbrook, where once again the family was united. On 8 April 1582, Giles and Joan's first child, Phineas, was baptized. During the same year, Giles was made chancellor of the diocese of Sussex. In 1584, Fletcher was elected to the parliament which began on 23 November, for Winchelsea, one of the Cinque Ports. It was at this point that the Fletchers would permanently call London home. During his stint in Parliament, Fletcher served on three committees. In 1588 he was an ambassador to Russia to reestablish the treaty with tsar Feodor I of Russia. Fletcher published a treatise, Of the Russe Common Wealth (1591). The treaty to be reestablished was primarily concerning the English trade, but before he departed Queen Elizabeth made him a Master of Requests. The account of Russia Fletcher portrayed gives a vivid description into the Russian world pre-1600. However, the book was suppressed. He is best known for his sonnet sequence, Licia. Publications Poetry *''Licia; or, Poemes of loue'' (sonnet sequence). Cambridge, UK: printed by John Legat, 1593 **also published in Elizabethan Sonnet-Cycles (edited by Martha Foote Crow). London: Kegan Paul Trench, 1896; Chicago: A.C. McLurg, 1896. Non-fiction *''Of the Russe Common Wealth; or, Maner of gouernement of the Russe emperour, (commonly called the Emperour of Moskouia) with the manners, and fashions of the people of that countrey''. London: T.D. for Thomas Charde, 1591; (facsimile edition), Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press for Folger Shakespeare Library, 1966. Collected editions *''The English Works of Giles Fletcher the Elder'' (edited by Lloyd E. Berry). Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press, 1964. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Giles Fletcher elder, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Apr. 10, 2016. See also *List of British poets References External links ;Poems *Giles Fletcher the Elder at PoemHunter (51 poems) *Giles Fletcher the Elder at Poetry Nook (51 poems) ;Books * ;About *Giles Fletcher the Elder in the Encyclopædia Britannica *Fletcher, Giles (1549?-1611) in the Dictionary of National Biography Category:1540s births Category:1611 deaths Category:People from Watford Category:English poets Category:16th-century poets Category:English diplomats Category:Members of the pre-1707 Parliament of England Category:Politics of Muscovy Category:Western writers about Muscovy Category:Fellows of King's College, Cambridge Category:Alumni of King's College, Cambridge Category:People of the Tudor period Category:People of the Stuart period Category:English-language poets Category:Poets Category:Sonneteers